What is permaculture?

"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system." - Bill Mollison, Founder of Permaculture Design

The Permaculture Design System can be practiced in any climate and bioregion. It is composed of a specific design method and follows underlying principles and ethics that support an integrated whole system. These system designs provide resources to support the thriving lifestyles of the people incorporated into them while preserving the natural abundance of resources in their local environment. There are many techniques that are commonly incorporated into Permaculture systems, which are integral in the hands-on portion of the Permaculture Design Course.

Natural Systems Thinking

Natural systems are constantly evolving in response to the changing environmental conditions and resources over time. By looking at this process and mimicking its strategy through our design method, we can design systems that are constantly evolving in response to change. Where the old paradigm of the design process is linear with a beginning and end, natural systems thinking views the design phase as never ending and constantly evolving in response to changing environmental conditions and resources. This pattern is successful in the natural evolution of ecosystems and is also successful in the design of farms, businesses, and our own thriving ecological community. When we shift towards a mindset in natural systems thinking, we begin to truly understand the potential that Permaculture Design has to address the contemporary environmental and social issues we face as a species today.

Permaculture Transport Zones

Transport zone mapping is a tool used in the design process to create an efficient flow of resources through the system. The interrelationships and exchanges between each zone provide conservative use of resources, labor, and time.